


Ashen Martini, Wet

by Nezumimurasaki



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Ashen Romance | Auspistice, Blood, Bondage, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, F/F, Fingerfucking, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Spanking, alchohol, bdsm auspistice, electric play, kinky ashen romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-10 18:31:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2035590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezumimurasaki/pseuds/Nezumimurasaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxy and Feferi have self control issues... Kanaya finds a way to keep them in line, but will it be enough when it seems everyone they know is having one hell of a time with quadrants and they are all getting a little unstable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings, Beguilings, and Beleaguerment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [odditycollector](https://archiveofourown.org/users/odditycollector/gifts).



> This one started as a fill for the Drone Season exchange, but ballooned in size then got lost to a dead battery for a couple weeks. New chapters posted as I get them edited.  
> My eternal gratitude to odditycollector for the idea of ashen BDSM, which would never have otherwise occurred to me, but which I find inexplicably hot.  
> This is set in my Binarystuck universe, but stands on it's own.

Kanaya shifted nervously from one foot to the other. It was a momentous day. She leaned over the edge of the tank, holding her breath in anticipation. The egg rocked back and forth in its shallow pool, and a little crack began to open on the side. A tiny horn, new and bright yellow, poked out the hole, then an adorable little face flanked with purplish fins and dotted with bioluminescent purple speckles.  
Her assistant, Roxy, giggled beside her. “Awwwww! He’s glowin like Eridan does when he’s surprised!"  
It was true, the little one was casting a slight glow in the dimness of the hatching chamber. Once he had wiggled free of his shell, Kanaya picked him up, eliciting a squeak from the first offspring born to the Sgrub or Sburb players. If he survived his first molt Cronus and Kankri would be able to take him home. It seemed that in their new word, lusi did not exist and trolls raised their children themselves, human style. Aradia hypothesized this was due to human cultural influence over the centuries.  
Roxy came over, carrying a bottle of liquid nutrient and held her arms out for him. “Come on, you can fuss over him after we get him all fed.” Reluctantly, Kanya handed him over, smiling as the human girl cooed and fussed as much as she did.  
Kanaya’s heart swelled with pride at being part of something so miraculous.  
Just as she was about to go prepare a sleeping tank for the little one, the doors to the lab slid open in a way that somehow managed to sound like a slam.  
“You!!!!!” snarled Feferi, her fangs bared and her narrowed eyes burning a hole in Roxy’s head.  
The human girl raised her eyebrows and pointed to herself with the hand holding the bottle. “Me?”  
“Yes you! You... you glubbing thief!” She stalked closer, and then noticed the baby in Roxy’s arms. Her eyes darted between the tiny fins and the delicate glowing freckles. Her jaw dropped and her skin went pale. She raised her eyes slowly to meet the other girls, her expression feral and dark. She hissed. “Oh shell no... First you moirail my matesprit and take all his time, then you start dating my X moirail... now... now this!!!” She bared her sharkish teeth, motioning at the grub, which Kanaya realized, with dawning horror, she had mistaken for Eridan’s rather than Cronus’. A low clicking growl came from Feferi’s throat.  
Roxy calmly handed the grub to Kanaya. ‘Kanaya, hold the baby.”  
Kanaya nodded and took the infant. “I have him. do what you need to do.”  
Feferi lept, and the human and seatroll rolled end over end across the floor, tearing at each other’s clothes and hair, slapping and hitting each other, growling and making incoherent noises of outrage. They then began to kiss.  
Kanaya couldn’t deny it, seeing them like this brought up uncomfortably... ashen feelings. She rolled her eyes and set the grub down into his pool. Of course... black affection. Not that it surprised her much. Roxy had a thing for fins, and despite her moirelegiance with Jane Crocker, Feferi had unresolved feelings about Eridan that could easily lead to her hating one of his quadrants. She fussed with the settings on the tank, trying to give them a bit of privacy.  
That is, until the entire room shook with the force of the pair of them hitting the wall. Kanaya looked up to see Roxy with her fingers hooked in Feferi’s neck gills, and Feferi with her claws to Roxy’s throat.  
This would not do. Kanaya rolled up her sleeves, and reached into her strife specious. The roar of her chainsaw had both of the hooligan’s attention instantly.  
"That is quite enough of that. I suggest that if the two of you cannot behave civilly in your black affections, that we come to an arrangement to stabilize the situation." She blushed, lowering the saw a little. "If you are both amenable"  
Roxy’s eyebrows went up, and her lips formed a puzzled moue. Feferi, on the other hand, understood perfectly and smiled a giant smile. “Of course! Oh my cod, Kanaya, that is so nice!” She bounced over and gave Kanaya a tight hug. She glanced over at Roxy, who was still looking confused. Feferi rolled her eyes. “Auspistice, Dumb bass. She’s offering to auspisticize for us.”  
Roxy’s eyes lit up with understanding and she smiled. “Yea! That’s a great idea! Thanks Kanayanay!” She joined the Kanaya-centered group hug, and to both of their credit, Roxy and Feferi managed not to take shots at each other over Kanaya’s shoulders. It was awkward, if heartwarming.  
Kanaya finally managed to detach the two of them with a modicum of grace and guided Feferi over to the door. “OK, so I’ll be in touch to arrange some supervised hate dates for the two of you. In the meantime feel free to contact me if you need any help with the natural urges, ok?” She patted the princess on the shoulder and was rewarded with a grateful tilt of Fef’s horns. “Thankyou, Kanaya, I reely appreciate your shelp.”  
“Afternoon, Feferi.”  
She closed the door and turned to Roxy, retrieving the first aid kit from the wall. "OK, Let's get you patched up."  
Roxy nodded, boosting herself up onto a table.  
Kanaya gently applied disinfectant and a bandage to where Feferi had left four long scratches along the column of Roxy's throat. “Are you feeling OK, or do you want to head home for the night? I can handle the grub if you need some time.”  
“Yea... I think I’ll head home...” She winced at the slight burn of the alcohol swab. “Thanks again, You didn’t have to offer that, you know.”  
“It’s my pleasure...” Kanaya blushed and ducked her head a little. “Anyway... it’s just so very romantic...”  
Roxy laughed and hopped off the table. “If you say so. Have a good night!” She gave Kanaya a hug and headed out the door.  
Kanaya slumped a little as the tension she had been feeling in the company of her new ashes faded to a pleasant warmth in her gut. She wandered over to the grub, who was happily nomming on plankton in his little tank. She picked him up, nuzzling his soft cheek. "What have I gotten myself into?"

 

***

It only took a couple of hours to perform all the routine new grub checkups and get the little one off to a deep sleep for the night. Once that was done, there was nothing left to do but set around being nervous or go home. Kanaya found herself increasingly restless. She had gotten a reputation for being “the village two wheel device” when it came to auspisticism when she was young, but she felt a bit out of her depth. After all, she had experience keeping two unsuitable partners apart, but not stabilizing an otherwise viable union. She sighed, pulled out her phone, and texted the one person she was sure could help.

grimAuxiliatrix Started Pestering carcinoGeneticist!  
GA: Are You Free For A Spot Of Hot Beverage Tonight? The Usual Place?  
CG: WHAT’S THE MATTER THIS TIME?  
GA:Do I Need A Problem To Want To See A Good Friend?  
CG: NO, BUT YOU NEVER WANT TO GO OUT AFTER WORK EXCEPT FOR WHEN YOU DO. IT’S ALWAYS ON YOUR DAY OFF.  
GA: Ok, You Have Found Me Out... I Seem To Have... Filled A Quadrant Unexpectedly And Require Your Sage Advice On How To Proceed.  
CG: OH MY FUCKING GOD. I’LL BE THERE IN FIVE MINUETS.

***  
Kanaya walked into the coffee shop to see Karkat already waiting for her, glaring into space and stirring his cup of coffee like it had personally offended him. This was actually pretty normal for him, he’d been a bit more dour than usual lately. She suspected pale quadrant troubles, but hadn't been able to find the courage to ask. It wasn't her place. She walked over and took the seat opposite him with a sigh.  
“Ok, so what the fuck happened. Spill, Maryam.”  
She smirked as he flipped his chair around and sat in it backwards, the classic “Karkat getting serious” pose.  
“Well... Feferi visited the lab today...In a fury”  
“Wait... You and Feferi!? Is that where she went today?” Karkat worked at the consulate as Feferi’s aide, and it was obvious by his surprise that her visit to the lab had been rather a spur of the moment thing. Interesting, that. “What the fuck do you two have to hate about each other?”  
Kanaya blushed jade to the tips of her ears. “Erm no.... I think you misunderstand.”  
Karkat’s shoulders drooped a little. “Oh... so you calmed her down... I was wondering who she would end up with... after the shit with Eridan...”  
“Karkat! That’s not it either... I mean, I did calm her, but I also calmed Roxy... They... seem to have fallen into spontaneous hatred for each other, and they nearly tore each other’s throats out.”  
Karkat slapped a hand to his face and drew it slowly down, looking at Kanaya imploringly from between his fingers. But the slump in his shoulders seemed to ease. “Kanaya.... What have I told you a million times about jumping into these situations? Just because they need an auspistice doesn’t mean it fucking needs to be you.”  
“This is different!” Kanaya felt a flare of defensive and insulted emotion well up. “I WANT to be there for them... I... I’m really ashen for them, you know? I’ve never felt this way before.”  
Karkat looked thoughtful, scanning her face seriously, then nodded. “Well then, what’s the fucking problem?”  
She sighed. “Well, I’m used to doing the sort of auspisticizing where you keep the couple apart totally... I’m not sure what to do when I need to stabilize a couple that actually has potential to grow into a working kismesis.”  
Karkat sat up straighter and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, you could always do what the hero in “In which a tealblooded legislacerator finds himself embroiled in an ashen triad with a rustblooded gang member and a cerulean inventor, and must navigate a series of romantic and personal perils before he can get a kismesis of his own and revel in the eventual stabilization of his ashen quadrant.”  
Kanaya smirked. Karkat thought that the answer to every romantic problem could be found in a romcom. It was so silly that it made a little soft part of her heart warm.“And what did he do?”  
“Well, it had a lot of false starts and shenanigans, but in the end he just had them be more active with their red quadrants and then counseled them to help with the aggression.”  
“That is not going to work, you simple, delusional idiot” announced a voice over Kanaya’s shoulder.  
Karkat facepalmed and greeted his own kismesis. “Kankri... You are not welcome. Go. The fuck. Away.”  
Kankri ignored him and instead pulled up a seat next to Kanaya. He paused a moment to sip the foam off his soy late. “Good evening, Kanaya. Any news about the grub?”  
Kanaya jumped. “Oh my goodness! I forgot to call you and Cronus in all the excitement today! I am so sorry! Your egg hatched this afternoon! A healthy little violetblood boy!”  
Kankri looked ecstatic a moment before schooling his features back to their customary serene holier than thou blankness. “Well... He’ll have to be raised carefully to make sure he’s aware of the privileges innate in his gender and blood status"  
Karkat rolled his eyes. “Oh come off it, buldgemunch, You’re over the fucking moon about it.”  
Kankri cleared his throat, and deliberately ignoring Karkat, turned to Kanaya. “Thank you so much for your help. Now what is this I hear about you having ash problems? I’ve always found the ashen quadrant to be the most noble, what with the auspistice getting nothing but the satisfaction of creating harmony where none was before. What can I do to help?"  
Karkat rolled his eyes. “I’d say Jade gets a little more than harmonious satisfaction out of beating your ass, fuckwad.”  
“Language, Karkat, and I would appreciate you not spreading our personal business around in public!"  
A slow, terrible smile spread across Karkat’s face, and he leaned forward, darting a sly look at Kankri before speaking. “You know, what Jade does for us just might help you... You see... When that asshole gets to be too much and crosses certain lines...she ties his fucking prude ass up and spanks him and jerks him off till he cant remember his own fucking name, let alone what particular brand of “trigger” had his lacy panties all up in a knot."  
Kankri went pale, the only color on his face two bright spots of red high on his cheeks. His mouth worked in silence a moment before he managed “Well she has to put a lock on your genitals so you won’t accost me in inappropriate moments! ha!"  
Kanaya had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “Oh my... well, this has given me a lot to think about! Thank you very much, Karkat, Kankri, erm... have a lovely evening. both of you."  
They nodded their goodbyes, but didn’t seem much to be noticing her, too busy glaring identical daggers at each other over the table as she slipped out into the night.  
She obviously had some Internet searching to do before morning.

***

The morning was blessedly normal. Kanaya and Roxy arrived at the labs about the same time, went in, Took care of the remaining eggs and the grub, had coffee and tea, and went about all the little duties that kept things running smoothly. About noon, however, Kanaya began to notice something was up with Roxy. She was, for a lack of better words, preoccupied, daydreaming her way through the day, making small mistakes, dropping things, and in general spaced out.  
As they sat down for their lunch break, Kanaya broached the subject. “Roxy, are you quite all right? You seem a bit... distracted this morning.”  
Roxy looked up from the sandwich she was unwrapping and blushed. “Nah, I’m fine, Kanayanay... She looked to the side, obviously obfuscating. “Juss tired, is all.”  
Kanaya arched one elegantly groomed brow. “I see... and it has nothing to do with a certain sea troll princess who you were hatemacking on yesterday?”  
Roxy’s blush deepened. “I... That obvious, huh? I can’t get her off my mind.”  
Kanaya nodded. “That’s normal, dear. Might I suggest something? An experiment that may help?”  
“Sure, I’m up fer anything! I am in your capable hands.”  
“Good. Now, if anything I do makes you uncomfortable, just say “Rutabaga".  
“Huh? Why rutabaga?”  
“Because it seems that it would be unlikely to come up in conversation otherwise. Now, come over here and lean over my lap.”  
Roxy paused a moment, then shrugged and complied. She let herself rest over Kanaya’s legs, her rump in the air, her head pillowed on her folded arms. Kanaya tugged the hem of her skirt up and ran a light hand over her now exposed pink panties. “Still OK?”  
Roxy nodded, blushing a little. She liked Kanaya a lot, but she had never imagined she would end up with the troll all up in her business like this. There was a moment of silence that stretched for a bit, before Kanaya pulled her hand back and landed a stinging slap to Roxy’s left butt cheek. The girl gasped, her eyes going wide, before she sort of melted. Kanaya took this as a good sign, and delivered a similarly enthusiastic spank to the other side of Roxy’s ass.  
Roxy shuddered and moaned a little. Kanaya gently rubbed the fabric between her legs, causing Roxy to squirm more. She then let loose a flurry of light, fast spanks to both cheeks, and another gentle caress over her panties.  
She could feel how warm Roxy was getting, and she showed all the classic signs of human arousal, so Kanaya decided it was time to take it a little further. She tugged the panties down, and paused to give Roxy time to use her safeword. Since none was forthcoming, she traced a finger along the line of Roxy’s labia, thrilling to the shiver this produced. She alternated teasing touches and spanks till Roxy was a gasping, shivering, begging mess in her lap. Then, she finally slipped her finger between the soft lips and found Roxy’s clit. She stroked it with a gentle round motion, pausing occasionally to deliver another smart smack to the girl’s thighs and buttocks.  
“Fuck... Kanaya I’m gonna...unnggg...” Roxy gasped, quaking, her voice a low, wrecked, erotic sound. Kanaya stroked her through it, and as she came, gave her a few sharp smacks to finish her off. She then tugged up her panties, put her skirt down, and hauled her up to cuddle her.  
“There. feel better?" She asked, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear.  
“Fuck yea... wow... I.. um.. thanks?” She blushed, and Kanaya gently papped her on the cheek.  
“Here... I am given to understand you might need refreshment after that...” She picked up the bottle of apple juice and a packet of cookies she had stashed next to the chair and handed them to Roxy.  
“Um thanks...” Kanaya watched over Roxy till she finished, and then they went about the rest of their day. Kanaya was gratified to notice that Roxy seemed much less distracted. Excellent. She would have to send a very nice thank you note to Karkat. And perhaps to Jade as well.


	2. Studious, Salacious, Shocking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanaya learns the root of Feferi's recent instability, catches her girls in flagranti delicti, and tries a new toy.

Kanaya was in the habit of lazing in bed late on her days off. A cup of tea steamed on the bedside table, and Rose nestled against her shoulder, her nose in a book. life was just about perfect. Then the phone rang.  
“Nice legs, daisy dukes, makes a man go...”  
Kanaya grabbed her phone, rolling her eyes at Rose, who was stifling a giggle behind her hand. Honestly, she was going to have to put a pass code on the device if her matesprit was going to keep changing her ring tones.  
“Kanaya?” It was Karkat, sounding a little nervous and worried. Her heart jumped into her throat.  
“Karkat! What is it? What is the matter?”  
“I need you to come over to the consulate...”  
Kanaya bit her lip. “What’s happened?”  
“It’s Feferi. Shes... pretty hard up.”  
“I’ll be right there. Hold on.” She hung up and took one last look at her bed, and tea, and Rose.  
Rose folded her book in her lap, one finger marking her place.”What’s up?”  
Kanaya blushed. “Umm... Feferi... she is in need of my ashen assistance.”  
Rose smirked and patted Kanaya on her flushed jade cheek. “Well then, you mustn’t keep a lady waiting. I’ll see you later.”  
Kanaya darted in to kiss her dearest heart on the lips, then dressed quickly and dashed out the door.

***

Karkat was waiting for her in the rotunda when she arrived. It struck her that he wore his suit like it was armor rather than Armani. His shoulders were up and his eyes darting, rather obviously ready for fight or flight.  
He noticed her, and his whole body relaxed. “Fuck, took you long enough. Come on.” He started walking, waiting for her to catch up before he spoke. “She’s been useless for a couple days now. Snapping at everybody, not getting anything done... We’re just lucky Condie hasn’t visited, or she might not have been able to keep herself from a bloody rampage starting with matricide and working her way down."  
“Oh dear, why didn’t you call earlier?"  
“Because contrary to popular belief, it’s not your job to keep her ass calm, at least in the general sense. She has a moirail, even if she won’t claim the asshole, and he’s too much of a spineless chicken to try and make up all his fuckery to her. If those idiots are too dumb to make a clean break and find someone else to calm their flighty highblood horse shit, that’s not your responsibility." he grumbled.  
Kanaya blinked down at him, confused. "I thought Feferi was with Jane!" It had been a big official thing... apparently the royal Crocker and Imperial troll heirs were traditionally moirails, symbolic of the moirallegiance of the human and troll peoples.  
Karkat sighed and jammed the buttons on the elevator impatiently. "Yea they were... But that all fell to crap because Jane went and found herself someone else." Karkat's voice was dark.  
Kanaya's brows shot up. "Who?"  
"Oh look at that, here we are!" Karkat evaded and opened the door to the office of the Condesce’s ambassador to earth, which was of course, Feferi. He poked his head in. “Fef, you in here?”  
A wordless growl of rage came from the room, and something hit the wall just out of Kanaya’s sight with a crash of breaking glass.  
Karkat jerked his head back and pointed at the door. “She’s all yours, clubstud.”  
Kanaya rolled her eyes and paused a moment, her hand on the door, centering herself, before flinging it open and fixing her most authoritative gaze on the wide eyed seatroll setting in a wingback chair, her claws digging long rips in the leather. “Feferi Peixes, you will stop this nonsense immediately.”  
Feferi rose to her feet, her bearing queenly and bristling with hostility. She slunk towards Kanaya, her shoulders thrown back, eyes narrowing to a glare. “And why should I? Will you keep me from what is rightfully mine by serendipity? Oh wait, you already are!” The last was a scream with the force and horn vibrating psionic resonance of a young empress’s power.  
Kanaya had to dig her claws into her palms to stop herself kneeling. She took a breath and looked Feferi in the eye.“Come here now. I am here to help you, and then, once you are calm, we can discuss the situation with Roxy, all right?”  
Something in the princess broke and she ran to Kanaya’s arms. “Oh my cod... I just feel... like it won’t go away and I can’t stop it... I’m just so mad... and I can’t calm down... and I think I may have hit Karcrab with a lamp!” she wailed, shuddering and sniffing as big tyrian tinted tears rolled down her cheeks.  
Kanaya gently papped Feferi’s hair, and made low soothing shooshes at her. Little by little she sort of sunk into a dejected puddle, all the energy of her rage leaving her, she seemed limp and hollow. Her fins drooped.  
This was... better but not what it should be. Feferi couldn’t function like this, and she had a lot of important duties... Karkat was right, she needed the attentions of a moirail more than anything Kanaya could offer her... But she had to try. The idea struck Kanaya that what was good for the goose... would likely be good for the space goose as well...  
She pulled back a little and lifted Feferi’s chin so they were eye to eye. “I think I know something that may help you. Do you trust me, princess?”  
Feferi sniffled and nodded. “Of course!” she chirped.  
“OK then. Now, if anything I do makes you uncomfortable, just say “Rutabaga” and I’ll stop.”  
Feferi looked confused. “Rutabaga?”  
“Ahem.. well, it’s unlikely to come up otherwise.” Kanaya blushed.  
Feferi smiled a small, fragile smile. “All right. What do you need me to do?”  
Kanaya stood and tugged Feferi up with her. “Go lean over your desk, head on your arms.”  
Feferi complied, leaving her hips and ass beautifully displayed in the air. Kanaya lifted her skirt, which got her a curious look form the seatroll, but no words. She hooked her fingers in Fef’s lavender jellyfish print panties, and tugged them down.  
The panties were soaked tyrian, her nook was dripping it, wanton and hungry, her bulge lashed, smearing the bright color over her thighs. Feferi was ready to burst with genetic material.  
Kanaya ran a hand over Fef’s ass, a teasing caress over her nook, and allowed her bulge to wind round her fingers a moment before detangling it. Feferi whimpered and shook with need.  
Kanaya drew her hand back and smacked Fef’s ass. Hard.  
Feferi squeaked with surprise, but her cheeks were flushed, her eyes taking on a dreamy look, her bulge writhed even more now, her nook releasing another trickle of fluid. They were going to destroy the carpet at this rate. Kanaya decaptchalogued a bucket, and kicking Fef’s legs open, she positioned the bucket between her feet. The sound of the metal hitting the floor caused Fef to moan.  
Kanaya went back to work. She took Fef’s bulge in her hand and squeezed rhythmically while raining slaps to both her ass cheeks. Feferi sobbed into her arms, getting closer and closer. Each breath was accompanied by desperate little chirps. The first trickle of pre-orgasm genetic material drip drip dripped into the bucket with a mind numbingly erotic sound. With a few more hard smacks and a firm squeeze, Kanaya sent Feferi over the edge, her genetic material flowing fast and hard into the bucket, filling it nearly to the brim all on her own. Kanaya tugged Fef’s skirt back down over her, and sealed and captchalogued the bucket.  
“How are you feeling now?”  
Feferi looked up at her, her eyes wide, dreamy, her expression peaceful. “Mmmhmm...” she sounded sleepy.  
Kanaya chuckled and helped Feferi to curl up in her chair. “There you are. Now, you make sure to eat something when you get a moment, and don’t forget to call me when you get like that, OK?”  
Fef nodded. “Thanks, Kanaya. I... I appreciate what you’re doing for us, I reely. do.”  
“I know. Now you take care.” She papped Feferi one more time on the cheek and showed herself out. As she walked through the rotunda again, Karkat's words were on her mind. What she had dealt with was more than the average black frustration. Feferi was a ticking time bomb unless she found herself a moirail to keep her pacified. This was just tinder for the fire.

***  
The week progressed with very little additional drama. Two more eggs hatched, those belonging to Mituna and Latula. A sweet little goldblood female and a tiny yet energetic tealblooded male. By Friday, Kanaya was absolutely ready for a day off. The grubs were a joy, but both the little teal and the violet were fussy, picky little things that had, on occasion, had her wishing for the days of hatching caves when she could just let the little things fend for themselves, for good or ill.  
In just one of those moments, as she finally got Kankri and Cronus’s little one to sleep, she looked around to find she was alone with the grubs in the lab. Roxy was nowhere to be found.  
She tucked the blankets up round the grubs a little more, then poked her head out into the hall. Not a trace of her. She drew air in through her nose, preparing for an epic sigh of consternation, and her breath caught. She smelled blood.  
She followed the smell down the hallway, to the doorway of a supply closet. She could hear voices, cries, moans behind the door. She flung it open with a low snarl.  
Two pairs of pink eyes gazed at her, with such identical looks of shock that if she had not been so angry, she would have laughed at them. Roxy’s hand was frozen at Feferi’s neck, a knife gleaming in her fingers. Feferi’s claws were digging into Roxy’s shoulder, drawing blood. They both had their skirts hiked up, their panties down, and Roxy’s leg was hitched up on Feferi’s hip, the princess’ bulge squirmed between the girls.  
Kanaya grabbed Roxy by the back of her shirt and pulled her off of Feferi with a sigh of resigned frustration. She was just so... so absolutely done with everything.  
Feferi made a motion as if to try and grab her kismesis back and something snapped in Kanaya. She pinned Fef to the wall, her other hand holding Roxy off at arm's distance. "No." she growled, low and menacing, with a faint chittering undertone of authority. "Roxy, fix yourself and get back to work. I will deal with you at a later date. Feferi, come with me.” Roxy scuttled away towards the lab, tugging her skirt down, though it did nothing to hide the magenta streaks on her thighs. Feferi started to try and tug up her panties, but Kanaya shot her a glare. “No, don't bother with your underthings, in fact, strip it all off and get into that room there.” She pointed at a nearby utility room she knew was unused. Feferi just stared at her, eyes wide and a bit disbelieving. Kanaya only just resisted the urge to heave a gigantic, “Lord what fools these mortals be.” sigh. “NOW, missy." The chitter in her voice was loud and full of menace.  
Feferi squeaked in startlement and hightailed it through the door. Kanaya couldn’t quite help a wolfish grin as she followed.  
Kanaya closed the door and bolted it to prevent intrusion before turning back to Feferi, her face schooled back into calm disapproval. “What on earth were you thinking? You don't think I would find you? You pulled her out of work for pity’s sakes!"  
Feferi stared at the floor, the color high in her cheeks. She stood very still, but Kanaya detected a shake in her hands. It wasn’t the clutching clench of a troll in the throes of mating hatred, at least, that wasn’t all of it. There was a different kind of frustration there, a barely checked tremor that made a small pang of sympathetic frustrated pity flutter in Kanaya’s own breast. It became obvious that Feferi wasn’t going to answer her.  
Kanaya rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I agreed to be your auspistice, but you need to show some restraint! Do you understand?”  
Feferi looked up, meeting Kanaya’s eyes for only an instant before looking away and nodding, dejected.  
Kanaya decaptchalogued a bit of rope and looped it over an overhanging joist. "I have no choice but to punish you.” She let her voice go gentle. “Come here and give me your hands.”  
Feferi obeyed, dishearteningly docile.  
Kanaya tied her wrists securely over her head. “Do you remember your stop word? Can you tell me it?”  
“Rutabaga” Feferi muttered.  
Kanaya nodded, satisfied, and proceeded to tie Feferi’s legs to two pipes, leaving her weight on her feet, but keeping legs spread wide as was practical for balance.  
She stood back and took in the sight. Feferi was still dripping tyrian from the cuts Roxy had inflicted, and from her overexcited bulge and nook. This would take a delicate touch. She decaptchalogued a special implement she had intended to use on them together at there first official ashen date, but it didn’t seem she would be able to arrange that for a while if they were acting like this.  
She plugged it in, and a brilliant violet light filled the dim room. Feferi’s eyes grew wide. “wh..what’s that?”  
“It’s an electrical implement. I am going to use it to give you mild shocks on various parts of your anatomy.” Kanaya ran the wand close enough to Feferi to cause her hair to rise, ghostly, around her, by way of a demonstration. “Do you want to use your word?”  
Feferi shook her head, and Kanaya brought the wand closer, contacting with Feferi’s thigh.  
The princess twisted in her bonds and screeched. The bioluminescent freckles that dusted her body in attractive patterns pulsed brighter a moment before returning to their usual dimmer luminosity.  
Kanaya grabbed her chin and forced her to make eye contact. Two rivulets of tyrian streaked down her face. “Do you need to safeword?”  
Feferi shook her head mutely and Kanaya let her go, pacing around her and delivering another shock, this time to her plush rump. Fef’s knees buckled a moment this time, but she didn’t scream, just gasped with surprise. She quickly regained her balance, but stayed silent.  
Kanaya lowered the wand, bringing it into contact at Fef’s left ankle, raising and lowering it closer and farther from the skin as she worked her way up the leg, making Feferi’s freckles brighten and darken rhythmically. She slowed as she got closer to the twisting bulge, teasing, keeping her subject unsure, till she brought it in contact with the soft magenta flesh. Feferi squeaked, a choked off version of her earlier scream mixed with an aroused chirp. Kanaya repeated the touch, up and down the length, till the princess was a gasping, whimpering mess. She then backed off, and unplugged the toy. Feferi actually looked a little disappointed and Kanaya smirked at her, as she took off the base attachment, and fitted on a long, thin one. It took a moment for Feferi to get what she was doing, then a look of horror came across her face and she began to shake her head. No.. no no no...”  
Kanaya turned the wand back on and stalked up to her. “What’s your word?”  
“Rutabaga” Feferi gasped, her eyes fixed on the wand.  
“And do you want to use it?” Kanaya turned the wand off, ready to stop the whole thing if Feferi said so.  
Fef just shook her head. “No.”  
Kanaya smiled and dropped her hand to stroke the slit of Feferi’s nook. “Ok then.”  
Feferi shivered as Kanaya positioned herself behind, where the thrashing of Fef’s bulge wouldn’t be in the way. She also wanted the advantage of surprise. She drew back and in one motion, thrust the attachment into Fef’s dripping hole to the hilt. With another wolfish grin, she switched it on.  
Feferi screamed, a full, throaty scream, and came, creating a giant puddle of genetic material around her feet and spasming around the toy.  
When the worst of the spasms was over, Kanaya withdrew the toy and stowed it away in her sylladex. She then cut the ropes that held Feferi up, causing her to flop into the puddle of her own genetic material, sprawled inelegantly.  
Kanaya schooled her face into the absolute image of cold sternness. Karkat was right, trying to play ash-rail was not going to help Feferi, she needed a firmer hand. "From now on, you will do as you are told, you will stay away from her save for with my presence and permission, understood?"  
Fef nodded and Kanaya tossed her her clothes. "Then get out of my lab. If i catch you setting foot in here again things will be much worse for you."  
Feferi bit her lip, tyrian welling in her eyes again, but she didn’t argue, she just shimmied into her clothes, which clung to the genetic material covering her, and hurried out the door and towards the exit.  
Kanaya leaned against the door of the utility room and ran a hand through her hair. This was going to get exhausting at this rate. But, an idea was forming in her mind, and she smiled a little. Yes... that would do nicely.

***  
The next evening, as work wound to a close, Kanaya caught Roxy as she was heading out the door. She rested her hands gently on the blonde’s shoulders and steered her towards her car.“Hello you, You have been a very naughty girl, and I have obviously not been seeing to your needs adequately, so you are coming home with me tonight so that I can finish what you started with Feferi yesterday afternoon.”  
Roxy looked at her, eyes wide. “But... Me ‘n Sol were gonna play Halo an have pizza tonight!” she whined.  
Kanaya smirked. “I have already informed your moirail of my plans and he agreed it was for the best I had you tonight. His exact words were “Well, she got herself into this... I’ll just have to pwn newbs and eat all the pizza myself then"”  
Roxy pouted as Kanaya put her into the car. “That ass... see if I bring him his coffee in the “Galaxy’s Best Moirail” cup this week.”  
Kanaya chuckled and drove them to her place. 

The house was hushed and peaceful when they walked in. Rose had arranged a hatedate with Eridan that evening, so they were alone. Kanaya took Roxy’s coat and hung it up, then ushered her into the bedroom. The bed was made with fresh slate gray sheets, bless Rose’s little black heart, and all the various implements were laid out in military order, albeit hidden under a few artistically draped scarves, to preserve the element of surprise.   
Kanaya took a moment to peek under the scarves, then selected a set of simple, soft fabric bindings. “Take your things off and go lay on the bed please, Roxy”  
Roxy smirked and obeyed, making a show of dropping her clothes, and then laying supine and sprawling on the bed.   
Devoid of clothes, she very much resembled Rose, her breasts the same modest yet perfect shape, topped with pointed nipples the same pink, the same triangle of curly gold between her legs. The sight made Kanaya’s throat dry momentarily. She shook herself and began to attach Roxy's hands and legs to the four corners of the bed.  
Roxy watched her tie the knots with a little smirk. “Man, you are so kinky, Kanayanay! I mean, first spanking, now bondage! No wonder Rose likes you so much!”  
Kanaya finished the knot she was working on and grabbed a gag and a small rubber ball from under a scarf. She held the mouthpiece of the gag, shaped like the tip of a Troll’s bulge, to Roxy’s lips. “Open” she muttered, and the girl obeyed with an indulgent, playful wink.  
Kanaya rolled her eyes and put the ball in Roxy’s left hand. “If you need to use your safeword, drop this. It will light up and make noise so I’ll know to stop.”  
Roxy nodded, and Kanaya tugged out a blindfold, which she slipped onto her before beginning.  
Kanaya started with the clamps. A pair of small, clover style ones which she attached to Roxy’s nipples slowly and deliberately, reveling in the squeak and squirming this produced. She then applied a vibrator to Roxy’s clit, letting it lay there, getting her more and more wound up, till she was just about to cum. She then removed the toy, and backed completely away, watching with satisfaction, as Roxy whimpered and thrust her hips ineffectually. She took hold of one of the clamps, sliding it off in a way that made her victim gasp round the gag. “Need I remind you that this is a punishment, dear. I’m not going to let you get off for a good long time. You’re going to learn to deal with sexual frustration...” She popped the other clamp off and massaged the sensitive nipple. Roxy grunted and squirmed more. Kanaya let her be for a bit then, setting nearby with a good book and a cup of tea. Once she was sure Roxy had totally calmed down, she crept near again, and began to slide a long dildo in and out of her. According to her research, most human females could not orgasm from just vaginal stimulation alone, so this was an ideal torture.   
She kept at it till Roxy was a writhing, grunting mess again. She then pushed it in deep and blew a long cool breath across her swollen clit. Roxy sobbed in frustration.  
Then the doorbell rang.  
Kanaya let go of the dildo, letting it slide out due to the wetness of Roxy’s cunt and her frustrated clenching. It sat with the head at her opening, frustrating her further. “I’ll just go get that, shall I? You wait here.”  
She chuckled and headed for the door. She really wasn’t expecting anyone, but that was OK. Roxy had been due for a cool down break anyway.  
She opened the door and found Feferi standing there, her hands clenching, her fins quivering, and her hair hanging limp, wet from swimming or a shower, as though she didn’t bother drying or even combing it before rushing over.   
Kanaya stepped back to let her in. “Feferi... What’s the matter?”  
Feferi stalked in, her shoulders hunched, her eyes darting about before looking up at Kanaya through her tangle of hair. “Where is she? I... I need to... I...” She came close to Kanaya and put her head on her shoulder. “I need her. please, Kanaya. I can’t think straight... I... I hate her so much. She’s taken everything that’s mine. EVERYTHING! Sollux won’t tell me... Even my own matesprit won’t tell me where she is.”  
Kanaya papped Feferi on the head gently. “Shoosh. Why do you say she’s taken everything? What’s gotten into you?”  
“I could forgive her taking all of Sollux’s time... I mean, they’re moirails... That’s normal... But... Shes gone and... Carp, it’s stupid, never mind I shouldn’t care.” Feferi sniffled, wiping a trickle of magenta from her cheek with the back of her hand.   
Kanaya held her a little closer. “You can tell me.”  
Feferi shook her head. “No... It’s ok... But please... do you know where she is? You could come with... and make sure we were good, couldn’t you?”   
Kanaya sighed. She had her suspicions about what it was that had Feferi upset, and there really was nothing she or Roxy could do about that. For not the first time she wished that Eridan had just stayed cut in half when they managed to remake the world. He was an OK fellow these days, but he just had this talent for making everything so damn complicated. She could, however, help with the pitch frustration that was sparking everything to boil over now. But she had to be sure she could trust Feferi to obey before she could give her unfettered access. “Ok, you don’t have to tell me. Come on, she’s in here. Do only what I tell you. Do nothing I do not give you permission to do. Understood?”  
Feferi nodded and followed her into the bedroom. Her breath hitched when she saw Roxy laying on the bed, splayed and helpless.  
Kanaya snapped her fingers and pointed to the carpet by the door. “Strip and kneel there. I want you to play with yourself, but you may not orgasm unless I tell you you may. If you manage to do that, and to beg enough, I will let you pail her, understood?”  
The princess stripped her clothes and dropped to her knees with impeccable grace and obedience, her fingers going to her bulge and nook, stroking and playing.  
“Good girl. Now watch, and beg.”  
Feferi’s eyes fixed on her Kismesis and she obeyed. “Please... Oh cod... I need it... I need to pail her. Please, Kanaya..."  
Roxy was squirming even more now, Kanaya could only assume it was the presence of her kismesis that did it. She put away the human shaped dildo and brought out one shaped like an impressive bulge. She slipped it slowly, tortuously into Roxy, only to remove it a moment later. She brought it to Feferi and held it in front of her mouth. “Lick it. Loudly. I want her to hear how eager you are."  
The sound of Feferi’s mouth smacking and lapping at Roxy’s juices was absolutely as pornographic as the sight. When it was dripping in saliva, Kanaya reached down and dipped her fingers into Feferi’s nook a moment, retrieving them slicked with magenta. She returned to roxy and removed her gag. “lick” she commanded, and Roxy lapped the genetic material from her fingertips. She gasped as Kanaya pushed the bulge dildo into her again. She bucked and whimpered, and without the gag, the sound was even sweeter. Behind her, Kanaya could hear Feferi begging again, like a good girl. Her breath was short, and she stuttered over her words.  
“Roxy... It’s not fair for just her to be begging. I want you to do it too.” She fucked her harder with the toy, and soon the both of them were going in a duet of desperation.  
Finally, Kanaya decided it was time. She reached down, and rubbed Roxy’s clit. The girl arched, and moaned, and came, shuddering and gasping.   
This had the entertaining side effect of setting off Feferi as well. Genetic material spewed from her as she whimpered and quaked on the floor.  
Kanaya pet Roxy’s hair fondly once before rising and going over to Feferi. “You’ve been a very good girl, doing just as I asked....”She pet Fef’s hair, and put her sex soaked fingers into her mouth, and let her suck the juices off. “However, you did come before I gave you permission, so no pailing for you.”  
Feferi looked disappointed and kind of slumped down.   
Kanaya took her chin with a gentle smile. “But I do have a present for you.” She went and picked up the box she had intended to bring to Feferi the next day. The princess opened the box and looked at the lattice of elegant fuchsia straps and sparkling rhinestone clasps.  
“Here, let me help you with it.” Kanaya got her into it in short order. There was a main part that fit like panties, and parts that strapped down around the thighs. The clasps locked with a “click!” Leaving the thing impossible to remove. It was also arranged in such a way as to allow bathroom functions, but not sex. Feferi stared at it in horror and fascination. “But why?”  
“This way you two can interact with intercourse off the table. Hopefully then you won’t get carried away. You’ll have to earn the right to pail through good behavior.” She smiled, a sharp smile. “Your flushed partners have keys, of course.”  
“Of course...” echoed the princess, dazed.   
Kanaya helped her dress, and showed her out the door. “Take care, Feferi, and be sure to call if anything upsets you... Please don't keep putting it off till it's like this.”  
Feferi hugged Kanaya and headed off.  
Kanaya turned back into the house, to get Roxy into her own chastity device and clean up before Rose got home.


	3. Moudlin Madcap Mayhem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan takes Roxy to a party... A royal party... With Feferi there. It goes about as well as you might expect.

Eridan lounged, indolent as a cat on Roxy's bed, watching her at her mirror, getting ready. At least a hundred strokes of the hairbrush, a careful application of bubblegum pink lipstick... with a wee teeny little brush no less. Eyeliner applied with the aid of a spoon and a prayer. Vain as any mermaid, was his starfish. An twice as pretty. She bit her lip as she nervously assessed her appearance, and he felt a pang of pity, so sharp and sweet that he felt like he could die of it right there. She noticed him watching her and winked at him without turning around. "How do I look?"  
"Like a million clams." He waggled his eyebrows at her in the way he knew made her giggle. It worked. She turned around and sauntered over to the bed, where she did a graceless flop onto his chest.  
Surprise more than any actual loss of breath forced a small "Ooof!" from him, but then he curled his arms around her, a soft purr building in the back of this throat.   
She giggled and squirmed away. "Nah ahh ahh!" We have a party to be getting to!" She sing-songed.  
He groaned, hand over his eyes and what he hoped was a suitably pitiable expression on his face. "But Roooooooox... Why do we gotta go out? I mean, what's so fun aboat a buncha stuff shirts from the embassy and all that shit, eatin' hors d'oeuvres and raisin' their noses up at anyfin human or warmer than teal?" He rolled over onto his belly and looked up at her. "Why don't we just go to a nice club instead? I hear Dave's got a gig in the Amber District tonight... We could go to that Moroccan place you like after."  
Roxy gave him that look that meant she could see right through him. "You just don't want to run into Fefferi."  
"Do ya blame me? I was a first class douche canoe last time I spoke ta her. Hell, for most of the time I knew her I acted like one of those fedora wearing ass weasels I get in my classes sometimes..." his brow furrowed as he tried to remember the word. "What did Porrim say those were?"  
Roxy bit her lip to not laugh at his colorful description. It didn't really work. "MRA or somethin' like that."  
"Right! No wonder she didn't want anyfin to do with me! Not ta mention that the two a you practically cause WWIII every time you're in the same room without Kanaya there to knock your heads together."  
Roxy rolled her eyes and scooted further away from him on the bed, giving him the cold shoulder. "We're getting better... 'sides, how are we supposed to build a productive kismesis if we don't get to spend any time together, huh?"   
He sighed and put his hands on her shoulders, trying to sooth her ruffled feathers. "Look, it's not that you two shouldn't see each other, it's just... you need someone there to keep things from boilin' over."  
She turned to him, the wicked gleam in her eye was an ill wind that blew no man any good. "You could do it!"  
Had he been drinking anything, he would have done a spit take. As it was, he just stared at his matesprit in horror. His silence was eloquent.  
"What? You ARE her moirail... even if neither of you is willing to forget about what silly fishes you were in the past and fix the damn problem."  
Eridan pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep, calming breath that didn't work. "It's not that simple! I betrayed her trust, held the whole of the troll race hostage, and then finally killed her, all because I couldn't tell pale pity from red pity and thought she owed me her heart. You don't come back from that shit!"   
"And what are you doing now, huh? You, mister, are making that choice for her. Acting like you know better than her what she wants an needs. Don't you at least owe her the chance to yell at you about it before you throw in the towel?"  
He sighed and stood, holding out a hand for her. "Fine, you're right... I hate it when you're right about somfin just so you can get your way about somefin else."  
He heard raucous laughter from the hallway, and Sollux stuck his head in the door. "She does that to you too?"  
Eridan nodded, and the two trolls shared an almost unsettling moment of solidarity.   
Roxy grabbed him by the jacket and dragged him towards the door. "You boys can commiserate later. Now is party time." She paused to kiss her Moirail on the cheek. "Night, Sol BB. Don't wait up!" 

The Crocker-Piexies Estate was large and surprisingly impressive, also gaudy, even to Eridan's taste. As they drove up though the main gate, they were watched by a row of huge statues, depicting past empresses of Alternia, and high ladies of earth. To a one, the empresses were tall and statuesque... and their human counterparts were short, curvy, and possessed of very goofy smiles.

Eridan pulled his trans am up to the curb and tossed the keys to the Valet. He had intended it to be a showy, smooth gesture, but it ended up a mess because he aimed too high and the kid wasn't expecting it, so they hit him in the face. If that wasn't his life all over he didn't know what was. Before he could get into a good sulk about it, Roxy glided up and wrapped her arms around one of his and started walking up the marble steps. 

Inside the building, everything was pink coral and pearls and gold and deep fuchsia high pile carpet. Waiters circulated with the expected trays of canapés, but also with dainty plates of cake and a preponderance of strange and exotic seafood. This was a celebration of Her Divine Condescension's jubilee, so of course dishes symbolic of her places as both batterwitch and daughter of the horrorterrors had to be present. 

Roxy flitted here and there, tugging him in her undertow like so much drift-weed. In her quest to be a worthy foe to Feferi, she had pressed Eridan into teaching her all about courtly manners, politics, and diplomacy. She had been the worst student he had ever had, if the most fun to "ehem" discipline. Much to his surprise, however, she seemed to have retained most if not everything he had told her, and was now using it to chat up heads of state, intergalactic dignitaries, and the occasional military leader. It was a might disturbing.

There came a tap at his shoulder and he turned, finding himself face to face with the moonlight coinflip to Roxy's sunshine. Rose Lalonde, her hair swept up in onyx and pearl barrettes, her black and white sequined strapless dress cut so low he had to wonder how it stayed on, held out a canapé of tentacles and roe on a fuchsia napkin. She cocked her head, arched one perfect eyebrow. "Truce so you can tell me the players?"

He returned is spade's smirk, taking the offered hors d'oeuvre and popping it into his mouth as he took a look around. Really not too much that would interest her. She liked scandal, did his Rose, and anyone who might have ties to the publishing industry or the like. He chewed slowly, savoring the salt brine taste and rubber texture. Finally, he spotted a likely amusement for her and swallowed. He pointed to a gent in a very conservative gray suit and an obvious toupee. "That fella over there is the head editor of WP publishin'. Recently fell into a moirallegiance with a lower level manager at another publishing house. Could be amenable to deals if you intimated you knew about it."  
She laughed, a sharp bark of delight. "If it's such a secret, how do you know?"  
He took in her skeptical expression and felt a flash of sweet hatred. Fuckin' bitch could never just take his brilliant moments for what they were. He really wouldn't have it any other way. He could just tell her about his teaching assistant for his History of Alternia-Earth Relations class who interned at WP, but that wouldn't be any fun. Instead he gave the answer he knew would infuriate her. "Because I'm not an idiot."  
Her black painted lips pursed a moment, and she opened them with a sharp retort on her tongue, which died as she spotted something over his shoulder. "Oh dear. I do believe my idiot sister and your former moirail are having a drinking contest."  
His heart seized in his chest. "What!?" He turned, and sure enough, at one of the tiny cocktail tables scattered about, sat the two of them, with a prodigious number of glasses between them, half of them filled with various liqueurs, the other half already emptied. Several bright colored bottles were scattered amongst the mess. He was in motion towards them before he could think about it, Rose's high heels clicking right behind him.   
He reached the table and slammed his hands down on the polished wood. "What the fuck do you think you two are doin'?"  
Roxy smiled up at him, all sunshine and sugar grubs. "Eribabi!!!! Wer Jus havin ourselvs a nice beferage an competition... Like good Kismooses..." She turned to look at the other girl, who was downing her own shot of rotgut. "Right, Fufferi?"  
Feferi slammed the glass down and giggled. "Yea! Don't be such a grumpy fish, Eridan! We're being good!"  
He scraped his hand down his face in mortification. He took a deep breath and explained as if they were small children, which is what it felt like. "No... Roxy is not supposed to be drinking. At all. Like ever again."  
Roxy frowned, looking like she was chasing thoughts around her mind to find the one she wanted to express. "Nooo... I'm preety sure it's jus that I'm not suposed to drink all the time... But this isn't all th' time... this is a party, an I am saposed to try an have a healthy competition wif Fef here... so I'm pretty sure it's ok. Wait... no I'm not sure...You better go ask Sol..." She proceeded to slide out of her seat onto the floor. "Whoops!"   
Fefferi laughed so hard she had to hold onto her own seat to keep off the floor, and Eridan sighed the sigh of the deeply put upon. He helped Roxy back into her chair and turned to Rose. "Could you keep an eye on them? They need water... like all the water. Ever."  
Rose nodded, and he went to go find them some. Which turned out to be surprisingly difficult. There was champagne and wine of all kinds and seven different sorts of lager and ale, even some punch that he nearly got for them till he got a strong whiff of rum off it, but nothing apparent without at least some percentage booze. He eventually pressed one of the servers to get him a large pitcher of water and a couple tumblers, which he then carried back to the table. 

The table which was now empty. Rose stood nearby, looking around in a quick, birdlike way that was her rendition of abject panic. She spotted him and ran up. "I don't know what happened, I looked away for a moment and they were gone!"  
"Roxy fuckin' Lalonde is what happened. She may be drunk, but she's still a god tier thief. She's fuckin' tricky when she wants ta be."  
Rose brought her hand to her lips and peered around, the worry starting to actually show on her face.   
Eridan put a steadying hand on her shoulder. Noone should put that look on her face but him, dammit. "First things first. Is Kanaya here with you?"  
Rose shook her head. "She stayed home. Needed some time to herself."  
"Fuck... all right then. Let's split up. You check the balconies and servant's halls off the ballroom, I'll ask around here if anyone saw them go."  
Rose nodded, her expression grim, then turned on her heel to go search.   
It took about a half hour, but eventually, someone mentioned seeing them slip out the back door towards the gardens. Eridan threw a thank you over his shoulder as he sprinted out the door.   
The night was softly cool, and the stars were bright, thanks to the distance of the manor from the city's light pollution, and the lack of clouds. In the distance he heard a scream. He took off after the source of the sound at a full run. He turned the corner of a small hedge maze just in time to see Roxy drop. Feferi, a feral, dark look in her eyes, was licking her lips and closing in on the human girl's motionless form.   
Eridan was between them before he could process how dumb getting in front of a tyrian heiress in the throws of bloodlust was. It didn't matter. He flared his fins at her and bared his teeth. "Feferi Piexis, if you lay one finger on her... so help me..."  
To his surprise, the beast before him blinked her eyes. She seemed to focus them at last on his face, then dart them down to look at the girl behind him. Her eyes became ans large and round as dinner plates. Her mouth dropped open and she let lose with a horrified, desperate wail. "Nooooo!! Oh my cod! oh my cod! I krilled her! no no no nonononononononoononooo! Fix it fix it fix it!!!" Her voice was rising to a frantic screech.  
He lunged forward and took a hold of her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Feferi! Shoosh. Pull yourself together."  
She quieted down to miserable sniffles, so he let her go. He knelt and took a look at Roxy. That was... a lot of blood. He tugged out his phone, calling an ambulance, and then put a call through to Kanaya before shoving it back in his pocket. He turned back to Feferi. "Ok, princess, help me get her out front. And stop snivelen', she's gonna be OK."


	4. Panicked, Penitent, Pale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consequences are a bitch. Feferi and Eridan jam it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter because of pov stuff. Enjoy! The end is next!

The ambulance was large and bright and so loud! Feferi shrank back from it, but Eridan pushed her forward, up into the waiting capable hands of an EMT. Then everything was a disorienting and she just wanted it all to stop so she could think for one second! But it just kept on. They were touching her and examining her, and there was stinging stuff and bandages being wrapped, and for unknown reasons she just wanted Eridan and she tried to spot him over their heads, but she couldn't. They wheeled Roxy up into the ambulance beside her on a gurney, and she got a quick glimpse of the red staining her blond hair before the EMTs blocked her view in a swarm of activity.  
Once they got to the hospital, a doctor gave her a quick once over before declaring her perfectly all right. Just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing her highblood constitution wouldn't tackle in a couple days. She found herself wandering about then, unwilling to leave till she knew Roxy was OK. The knowledge of what she had done sat heavy and sick in her stomach. She looked in the window on the door to Roxy's room, and saw Eridan there, setting by her bed and stroking her hand, talking to her even though she was out cold. It should have made her angry... possessive, jealous... but instead she just felt raw and empty.  
A voice behind her cleared their throat. She turned to see Sollux.  
"Excuse me." His voice was flat gray.  
"What?" She didn't understand, and his dead tone made her feel even sicker.  
"Please move. I need the door." It was polite in a way he never was. Monotone, restrained, as if he didn't trust himself not to say or do something he would regret.  
She bowed her head and stepped aside.  
"Thank you." He opened the door, but before he went though, he reached out and gave her hand a squeeze.  
She looked up, confused.  
His face was a portrait of sad, wry, consternated, and loving. "I'm really mad at you, FF. We are going to have the longest fucking talk about this. But... I still love you."  
Feferi bit her lip and nodded.  
He gave her a small, sad mile and walked through the door to go take care of his Moirail.  
She watched through the window again as he said something to Eridan, and they switched places, Sollux settling into the uncomfortable looking chair, and Eridan standing and stretching his legs. Eridan headed for the door, and Feferi skittered back. She wasn't sure how to deal with this... with him.  
He spotted her anyway as he shut the door gently behind him, and walked over to her.  
She turned away, but was stopped by his hand, gentle on her shoulder. "Fef?"  
She wrapped her arms round herself and fought the urge to shrug him off and run. Whatever he needed to say, she deserved it. "Yea?"  
He paused before he spoke, and she could tell he was licking his lips without looking, an old nervous habit. She heard the rustle of his sleeve as he ran one hand through his hair.  
When he finally spoke, his voice was gentle. "Fef... What happened? You're not like this... You were always so much better... Than any a us."  
She wanted to cry, and tried to stop it, but a tiny sniffle came out anyway. Her voice cracked. "I just didn't know what else to do... She's just... so much better than me Eridan... and it makes me.. so. Mad!"  
He turned her around then, and she looked up into his face. His eyes were full of concern, and it made her bloodpusher ache and the tears began to trickle down her cheeks.  
He cocked his head. "Why do you think Rox is better'n you?"  
Feferi avoided his eyes and stared at the floor. She wanted to not answer that, but his tone was so gentle, so kind, and the old instincts rose, made her want to pour her feelings out to him. "because she makes you and Sollux so happy..." Fef glanced up at Eridan. "She came from absolutely nothing... and... she's doing so much with her life... she's doing way more than me, and I'm a princess... I'm supposed to be the one making an impact on the world... but there she is... and it's so easy for her, and it's so hard for me." Cod, that sounded pathetic. "It's just so hard..." She lifted a tentative hand to his cheek. "She made you a better troll... and I couldn't do that."  
"Nah... " Eridan took her hand and lead her to set down on one of the fake leather couches that lined the walls of the waiting chamber. He knelt in front of her, capturing both her hands between his and gazing up into her eyes intently. "I made myself better. It was good to have her around, but all this was a long time commin'. You had a part in it too. Showed me how stupid I was to not respect the folks around me, an how I couldn't use manipulation to get what I wanted out a folks."  
Feferi took a deep breath. Her eyes strayed to Roxy's door. "What's going happen to her?"  
Eridan got up and poured a paper cup of water from the nearby dispenser. He handed it to Feferi before settling on the couch next to her. "She'll pull through. She's a god, remember? I don't think all this counted as tragic or heroic... just fuckin stupid."  
Fef half giggled, half sobbed and smacked him gently on the chest with the back of her hand. "Don't make me laugh! That's not OK!"  
He shrugged and smiled down at her. "It's OK to laugh... just... don't forget this, yea?" He leaned back, kicking his legs out and folding his arms behind his head in a catlike stretch. "You two gotta find a better way to hate each other."  
She considered that a moment, then turned to him, lips pursed in thought. "How do you and Rose do it?"  
He shrugged and blushed a little. "Mostly I tear apart her writin' an her fashion sense, an she audits my classes just to make fun of my lectures an critique my teachin' technique."  
She rolled her eyes and let air out her gills in a frustrated glub. "No... I mean, how do you handle all this... feeling. How do you manage hating someone so much and yet... needing them too?"  
He looked over at her, shifting so he was facing her a bit more. "It takes time Fef, you'll get there."  
She could feel the tears starting to threaten again. "Its just... I could have lost her, Eridan!!!" The thought of Roxy laying there unconscious filled her mind and she dove for Eridan, wrapping her arms around his middle like an octopus, and burying her face in his chest. Sobs wracked her whole body.  
His arms closed around her and it was like safe harbor at last. His heartbeat was the murmur of the sea, and she cried even harder because she had missed this so much. His hand rose, tentative, to gently pat her hair. His accent was thick when he spoke. "Shoosh.... Shhh.... It's OK... You'll be OK, Fef. I know ya will. I have faith you can do whatever ya put yer mind ta."  
A soft purr built at the back of her throat. She couldn't help it.  
There were footsteps approaching, and they sprang apart, sheepish as wrigglers caught playing doctorterrorist.  
Kanaya came rushing up, and gave them a significant look and smirk before checking Feferi over. "Are you all right?"  
Feferi sprang from the couch and threw her arms around her ashmate with a little whimper. "I'm so sorry! I... I should have listened to you, Kanaya... Please forgive me? I'll do whatever you say... I just want to make her miserable, but not like this...."  
"Shhh sweetheart. It's going to be all right. Sollux informs me she's woken up now. Would you like to go see her?"  
Feferi nodded, and Kanaya took her hand to lead her away. Before they went through the door, she cast a look over her shoulder. Eridan still sat on the couch, the abandoned cup of water in his hands. When their eyes met he gave a little wave, and smiled.


End file.
